High-protein diet a factor in shorter life

High-protein, Atkins-style diets may keep you leaner but they are unlikely to help you live longer.

Mice fed on high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets had shorter lifespans and more heart and diabetes problems than those with diets low in animal proteins and high in plant products, a study led by Sydney researchers has found.

The study found that the interaction between the major nutrients - protein, fat and carbohydrates - was critical to whether a diet was beneficial to health and longevity rather than the properties of the individual nutrients themselves.

''People talk about a balanced diet but no one knows what it is, particularly in terms of the balance of macronutrients, the ratio of protein to carbohydrate to fat,'' said David Le Couteur, a co-author of the study from the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney.Advertisement

While the study was conducted on mice, the findings, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, are in line with recent epidemiological studies that have found people on low protein or vegetarian diets have better long-term health.